Water feeder



Dec. 5, 1939. w J WOOLLEY 2,181,956

WATER FEEDER Filed Aug. 13, 1957 INVENTOR.

a/WMM w Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES Lidifit r TENT' OFFICE This invention relates in general to water feeders, and more particularly to an automaticwater feeder device for supplying water tov low pressure steam boilers, humidifiers, expansion'tanks and the like.

A principal object of the invention is'the provision-in a water feeder of means for-automatically supplying water to a boiler or the like and for controlling and maintaining: constant the 16 water supply within the boiler at a predetermined working level.

'Another important object of the invention is the provision o f -a float controlled Water feeder in which thefioat is readily adjustable to vary the effective water level. I

A further important'object of theinvention is the provision i-na water feeder of valve mechanism and floatcontrol mechanism therefor, which are so u constructed and arranged thata very 20 shallowbody-of water is all that is..required.to

operate the valve.

- Another object ofthe invention is theprovision insuch a water feeder of a-scaleagitatorforming a part ofthe valve mechanism. for agitatingand 25 removingany scale which .may .be deposited therein. 1

Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic water feeder which will function to supply the required amount of water to .a boiler 39 or the like and will be wholly unaffected in its operation by the usual surging within the boiler.

' Numerous other objects'and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, when 5 taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, discloses apreferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is -a vertical sectional viewthrough a furnace boiler showing'adevice embodying the features of the instant invention operatively associated therewith; I v

'Fig; 2 is a detail vertical sectional view of the water feeder device of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bafile box used in the installation of Fig. l.

Referring more particularly tojthe drawing, reference numeral ll indicates in general a furnace boiler of any desired construction, which 50 is shown herein as a low pressure steam boiler having-an outer wall or casing l2, to the outer surface of which is secured a coating of suitable insulative material I3. A water feeder embodying the features of the instant invention is indi- 55 cated generally by reference numeral I4, and is shown in Fig. 1 mounted on the boiler H for maintaining constant the water level therein.

The water feeder l4 comprisesa hollow, cylindrical shellor casing l5 which is provided with a suitable threaded portion. on' its outer surface "-5 i at each end thereof. When installed on the boiler H, the threaded vportion at the inner end of the casing is-screwed onto asuitable tapped apertureinthe wall .l2 of the boiler, the casing l5 extending through the insulative material I3. 10 An outer casing member or cover I6. is provided with-a circumferential flange H at its inner end whichis adapted to be secured to the shell l5 by a suitable .union or nut 18,. Apartition plate Wis-mounted at theouter end of the shell l5, vl andis rigidly secured between thelatter and the flange IT by the union l8. Oneor more suitable gaskets or packing Washers 2| may be interposed, between. the partition plate. l9 andthe casing numbers Sand/or, I5 to insure. a leak-proof connection .therebetween. p I Theoutercasing or covermemberlfi is provided with a suitable .tappedflange zz within which theinner end of .a'water supply pipe or tubing 23 -may be threaded. Intermediate its 25 .ends, the cover member I6 is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced, inwardly extending, circumferential ribs 24. A removable screen 25, which is. preferably madeof Monel metal, is positioned interiorly of the cover member Hiand is adaptedto be retained therein ,by the inwardly extending ribs 24. .Theouter casing or cover member l6 andthe partition plate 19 define a water inlet chamber 26 which is supplied by the pipe or tubing 23. Any scale or other. foreign matter carriedbythewateras it enters the chamber 26 will be caught .by the screen 25 and deposited in the outer end ofthe chamber.

Rigidly secured in any suitable manner to the partition plate I9, and extending through an 40 aperture provided therein is, a hollow valve member 21 which is provided with an inner bore 28 and anenlarged outer. bore 29. The bores Y28 and .29 are separated by an interiorly disposed annular flange 3! which is formed integrally with the body portion of. the valve member 21 andis providedwitha valve seat 32 on its inner surface. The valve member 21 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed apertures 33 and 34 which communicate with the innerbore [28 and function asa spillway and vent or relief opening, re spectively.

A movable valve rod 35 is positioned within the bore 28 of they stationary valve member 21, and is provided adjacent its outer end with a seat portion 36 adapted to engage against the seat 32 to cut oil communication between the inlet cham-jber 26 and the interior of the shell 15. The outer end of the valve rod 35 terminates in a reduced 5. portion 31 which is adapted in the operation of the valve rod to agitate and remove any scale which may be deposited within the valve member 27 adjacent the valve seat 32. The valve members 2! and 35 are preferably made of nickle silver to prevent corrosion thereof, although any other suitable material may be employed.

The inner end of the valve rod 35 terminates in an'enlarged portion 38 which is slotted longitudie J'.

lever 39 is rigidly secured to the outer end of a rod 44 by an adjustable thumb-screw 45. The

inner end of the rod 44 is rigidly secured in any suitable manner to a hollow float 46 which is preferably made of copper, although any other suitable material may be employed.

As shown in Fig. 1, when the water feeder i4 is mounted on the boiler II, the float 46v extends into the interiorof the boiler and is disposed within and in spaced relationship to a baffle box member 41. The bafiie box4l is open at its top and outer end, and is provided at its outer end with a plurality of flange members 48 which are adapted to be rigidly secured in any suitable manfner to the inner surface of the wall l2 of the boiler. The bottom of the baflle box 41 is provided with an aperture 49 which provides communication between the interior of the baflle .box

, and that of the boiler l l below the normal water level therein, the upper end of the baffle box being positioned above the normal working level of the water.

In the operation of the above described device,

water is supplied to the inletchamber 26 of the 50 water feeder M by the pipe 23. Assuming an initial installation, thewa'ter will flow through the bores 29, 28 of the stationary valve member 27, through the spillway 33 .and the casing l5 to the interior of the bafile box 41, and through the 55, aperture 49 to the lower portion of the boiler l I.

When. the water within the boiler II and the baflle box41 has reached the predetermined working level, the float 46 will have been moved up- -ward1y to its position of Fig. 2. In such upward movement of the float, the valve rod 35 will be moved outwardly relative to thestationary valve member 2! by the lever39 to engage the seat portion 36 of the rod with the seat 32 oflthe sta- Asthe water within the boiler I is transformed into steam, the water level will fall, which causes the float 46'to move downwardly about the piv t The stationary valve The outer end .of the lever 43. As will be apparent from Fig. 2, the relative positions of the pivot pins 4| and 43 are such that only a slight downward movement of the float 46 is necessary to move the valve rod 35 inwardly away from the valve seat 32 to admit water from the inlet chamber 26 to the interior of the boiler, as above described. Consequently, water will be fed slowly and substantially constantly to the boiler so that the water therein will baffle box 41 functioning to eliminate the efiect of surging within the boiler'upon the float 46.

Without the bafile box 41, the surging of the water which normally takes place within the boiler would cause undesirable movements of the float 46. This would result in overfeeding of water to the boiler, but such faulty operation of the water feeder i4 is prevented by the bafile box41 which retains a relatively calm body of water within which the float 46 is disposed. The bafile box 41 may also be cast integrally with the cas ing l2. 7

From the above description of the water feeder l4, it will be readily apparent that it may :be

vertical movement of the float-46 will function to that various changes may be made in the form,

construction and arrangement of the parts with- .out'departi'ng from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

In combination with a vertically disposed wall of a boiler, or the like. having a tapped aperture therein, a water feeder for automatically maintaining a constant water level in the boiler. comprising a hollow shell screwed into said tapped aperture. a cover member mounted on said shell and disposed exteriorly of said boiler wall, a partition platedisposed between said cover member and said shell to define a water inlet chamber with said cover member, valve mechanism mounted on said partition plate for controlling the flow of water from said inlet chamber to the interior of said boiler through said shell. a valve operating lever pivotally mounted interiorly of said shell for substantially vertical movement, and a float adapted to be disposed interiorly of the boiler to be moved vertically by the water therein and ad- ,iustably secured to said lever to operate said valve mechanism in accordance with a selected water level in said boiler, the cross-sectional dimensions of said float being less than those of said shell to facilitate insertion thereof through said aperture,

WTLIIAM J. WOOLLEY. 

